title: Virulence and resistance markers in clinical and environmental Aeromonas strains isolated in Romania.
abstract: The virulence and resistance (R) features of 37 Aeromonas strains from diarrheal cases and 150 from the aquatic environment (isolated during cold and warm season) were tested at different incubation temperatures (4 degrees C, 28 degrees C and 37 degrees C). When incubated at 4 degrees C temperature, the Aeromonasstrains isolated during the cold season expressed the highest number of virulence factors by comparison with the strains isolated during warm season and from diarrhoeal cases, the virulence spectrum increasing simultaneously with the incubation temperature (i.e. 28 degrees C and 37 degrees C) for all strains. Mucinase was the unique virulence factor constantly present in all three categories of strains at all three incubation temperatures. The aquatic as well as clinical strains exhibited similar R levels to ampicillin and colistin, while for the other tested antibiotics, the aquatic strains generally proved higher R levels than clinical strains, excepting cephtazidime. Plasmids of molecular weights ranging between 1904-21226 bp, were isolated in 36.5% of Aeromonas strains, some of them being correlated with specific R patterns. The large virulence spectrum correlated with high R in Aeromonas strains isolated from the aquatic medium is pleading for the significant role of these bacteria in the pathogenic potential of the natural reservoir possibly implicated in human pathology.
authors.affiliation: Cantacuzino Institute.
authors.forename: Mariana Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chifiriuc
authors.forename: Anca Michaela
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Israil
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larion
authors.forename: Ionela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alexandru
authors.forename: Georgeta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dobre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000333:Aeromonas / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010641:Phenotype; D011133:Polysaccharide-Lyases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; D011133:Polysaccharide-Lyases; C100002:hyaluronate lyase